Imagine for a moment that your brother is George W. Bush.
When your brother becomes president in 2000, with your assistance, you feel good. Your brother is a moron. You are far less of a moron. His ascent to the most powerful political office in the world can only be a good thing: your time will come too. Your idiot brother did it. How hard could it be?
The answer for Jeb Bush has turned out to be ‘harder than anyone thought’. Lagging in Republican primary polls, the ‘Other Bush Boy’ is watching his preordained political triumph turn to dust. When the Bush family assembles for Christmas in 2016 and Barbara Bush says “now let’s get one photo just with the Presidents”, Jeb will once again be forced to slink off into the kitchen alone.
The worst part? George W may have endured severe humiliation but at least he also got to run the country for eight years and starts some wars. Jeb is getting all of the former and none of the fun stuff that goes with it.
Case in point, the video doing the rounds this week of the Bush dynasty torch-bearer forced to politely ask his own supporters to clap at a rally. One time presidential shoe-in Jeb Bush reduced to a human ‘APPLAUSE’ sign.
If we were being kind we would say Bush actually appears a little self-deprecating when the clip is viewed in full. If we weren’t, we’d say it’s like watching a husband walk in on his cheating wife and being so paralysed that all he can do is usher from the void, from a place of abject humiliation and pain, “please love me”, as the betrayal continues to play out without any signs of arresting and his withering goes eternally cold.
Please, for God’s sake, clap.
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